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Ailanthustree-OldMain-001

Ailanthustree-OldMain-001

This Ailanthus tree (Tree of Heaven) rests on the south side of Old Main on Penn State's University Park campus. While there have been no complaints about this Penn State ailanthus, the plant's quick growth and spread has turned the tree into a major problem for foresters. Ailanthus was first imported in Pennsylvania in the late 1700s as a status symbol for rare plant collectors and botanists.